Key Concepts in Empires, Trade, and Revolutions: Study Guide

Unit 3 Big Idea

Land-based empires expanded using gunpowder, strong governments, and religion to control large territories

Ottoman Empire

Powerful empire in the Middle East that used Janissaries and controlled trade routes between Europe and Asia

Safavid Empire

Persian empire that established Shi'a Islam as the state religion and conflicted with the Ottomans

Mughal Empire

South Asian empire known for religious tolerance under Akbar and cultural achievements like the Taj Mahal

Qing Dynasty

Last Chinese dynasty that expanded territory and maintained Confucian traditions

Tokugawa Shogunate

Japanese government that enforced isolationism and centralized power

Gunpowder Empires

Empires that used firearms and cannons to conquer and maintain control

Janissaries

Elite Ottoman soldiers taken as boys and trained for military service

Bureaucracy

System of government with officials who manage different parts of the empire

Religious Legitimacy

Rulers justified their power through religion or divine approval

Unit 3 Decline Factors

Overexpansion, corruption, economic problems, and internal conflicts weakened empires

Unit 4 Big Idea

Increased global connections through trade, exploration, and colonization

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia

Triangular Trade

Trade system linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Forced migration of millions of Africans to work on plantations in the Americas

Mercantilism

Economic system where colonies supply raw materials to the mother country

Joint-Stock Company

Business where investors share profits and risks (ex: British East India Company)

Plantation Economy

Large farms in the Americas using slave labor to produce cash crops

Cash Crops

Products grown for profit like sugar, tobacco, and cotton

Effects of Disease

Diseases like smallpox killed large populations in the Americas

Cultural Exchange

Blending of cultures through trade and migration

Unit 5 Big Idea

Revolutions and industrialization transformed societies and governments

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement promoting reason, natural rights, and democracy

Natural Rights

Rights all humans are born with, such as life, liberty, and property

American Revolution

Colonies gained independence from Britain and created a democracy

French Revolution

Overthrew monarchy and promoted equality and citizenship

Haitian Revolution

Successful slave revolt that created an independent nation

Industrial Revolution

Shift from hand production to machines and factories

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural areas to cities

Factory System

Production system where workers and machines are brought together in one place

Working Conditions

Long hours, low wages, and unsafe environments in factories

Child Labor

Children working in factories under harsh conditions

Capitalism

Economic system based on private ownership and profit

Social Classes

Division between upper, middle, and working classes

Imperialism

Domination of one country over another for resources and power

Causes of Imperialism

Need for raw materials, new markets, and national power

Effects of Industrialization

Increased production but also inequality and poor living conditions